An automatic analysis apparatus is intended for, for example, biochemical or immunological inspection items, and analyzes a sample (test sample) such as blood. Specifically, the automatic analysis apparatus measures, as a change in translucent characteristic, a change in tone or turbidity caused by a chemical reaction to a mixture of the sample and a reagent corresponding to each inspection item. Thereby, the automatic analysis apparatus measures the density of various components in the sample and the activity of enzymes.
This automatic analysis apparatus measures one or more inspection items selected in accordance with the object of an inspection from a great number of inspection items that are measurable in a set analytical condition. The test sample is then dispensed by a sample probe from a sample container stored in a sample probe sampler to a reaction container. The reagent is dispensed by a reagent probe from a reagent container stored in a reagent probe reagent storage to the reaction container. The test sample and the sample dispensed to the reaction container are then stirred by a stirrer. Further, the translucent characteristic of the mixture of the sample and the reagent in the reaction container is measured by a photometry unit. The sample probe and the reagent probe are washed whenever the dispensation of the test sample and the reagent is finished. If this washing is insufficient, test samples and reagents used in past inspections are mixed in a reaction solution for a new inspection. This is called a carryover, and causes a decrease in the accuracy of a new inspection.
Accordingly, various techniques for washing the sample probe have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 2950698 has disclosed that a detergent for washing the sample probe is contained in a reagent container for containing reagents, and the detergent is sucked by the sample probe and discharged to a washing basin to carry out washing with the detergent.
However, according to the above-mentioned technique, a long time has to be taken for horizontal movement of the sample probe during the process of washing the sample probe. Therefore, there has been a problem of the increased time taken from the start of the washing process to the end.
Under such circumstances, there has been a desire to reduce a cycle time by minimizing the time taken for the movement of a nozzle such as the sample probe in washing this nozzle.